Mar1, a high mobility group box protein, regulates -alkane adsorption and cell morphology of the dimorphic yeast .

The dimorphic yeast possesses an excellent ability to utilize -alkane as a sole carbon and energy source. Although there are detailed studies on the enzymes that catalyze the reactions in the metabolic processes of -alkane in , the molecular mechanism underlying the incorporation of -alkane into the cells remains to be elucidated. Because adsorbs -alkane, we postulated that incorporates -alkane through direct interaction with it.

Δ12-fatty acid desaturase is involved in growth at low temperature in yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.

We investigated the role of FAD2, which was predicted to encode a fatty acid desaturase of the n-alkane-assimilating yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. Northern blot analysis suggested that FAD2 transcription was upregulated at low temperature or in the presence of n-alkanes or oleic acid. The FAD2 deletion mutant grew as well as the wild-type strain on glucose, n-alkanes, or oleic acid at 30 °C, but grew at a slower rate at 12 °C, when compared to the wild-type strain.

Acidic phospholipid-independent interaction of Yas3p, an Opi1-family transcriptional repressor of Yarrowia lipolytica, with the endoplasmic reticulum.

In the n-alkane-assimilating yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the transcription of ALK1, encoding cytochrome P450, that catalyses n-alkane hydroxylation is activated by a complex composed of Yas1p and Yas2p via a promoter element, ARE1, in response to n-alkanes. An Opi1-family transcription factor, Yas3p, represses the transcription by binding to Yas2p in the nucleus when cultured in glucose-containing medium, but it is localized to the ER, presumably through interaction with acidic phospholipids, phosphatidic acid and/or phospho inositides, when cultured in n-alkane-containing medium. Here, to elucidate the mechanisms regulating the localization of Yas3p, point and deletion mutants of Yas3p were constructed and analysed.